Nottingham Forest made an incredible comeback after their tough 5-0 loss to Bournemouth last week, delivering a dominant 7-0 victory over Brighton. This is their biggest win in a league game since 1991, and it helped them move into a tie with Arsenal for second place in the Premier League, raising hopes that they could continue their push for a Champions League spot. Some fans may even be dreaming of something even bigger after this impressive performance.
The team had faced criticism after their heavy defeat to Bournemouth, but they bounced back with an outstanding win over Brighton, who also had hopes of playing in Europe next season. This victory was historic, as it marked the first time in Premier League history that a team had lost by five goals one week and then won by seven in the next. The last time a team had done something similar in top-flight football was in 1974.
The match started with an own goal by Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, who accidentally turned a cross from Morgan Gibbs-White into his own net in the 12th minute. Forest extended their lead when Gibbs-White scored a powerful header from an Anthony Elanga corner. Chris Wood then made it 3-0 with a header from another Elanga cross just 32 minutes into the game. This was the second-fastest Forest had ever scored three goals in a Premier League match.
Wood wasn’t finished yet. He scored two more goals, one from close range and another from the penalty spot, completing his hat-trick and bringing his season tally to 17 goals so far. This is already his best-ever season in the Premier League. With 14 games still to play, Wood is on track for his first 20-goal season.
In addition to Wood’s hat-trick, Elanga had an incredible performance, providing three assists in the game. He became just the second Forest player ever to get three assists in a Premier League match. Only a few players in the Premier League, like Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka, have more assists than Elanga since last season.
Neco Williams and Jota Silva also scored late goals to finish the 7-0 scoreline and add to Brighton’s frustration. For Brighton, this was their heaviest defeat in any league game since 1958. While injuries played a part in their performance, it didn’t fully explain the poor result.
With this dominant victory, Forest’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are growing stronger, and their fans are buzzing with excitement for what lies ahead.